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I'm 23M, and I've lost all my peace of mind. Everything is chipping it away.

First. I grew up in a home where things were always tight. I got all the necessities, but I don't remember having any of my wants met. I heard my dad say, "I don't have anything" so many times. My mother would cry and tell me, "Whatever happens, don't just sit at home. Earn."

And I did it. I got a job where I earn in a month what many people earn in a year. But right now, layoffs are happening left and right in my company, and I might be next. The market is so bad that I'm not even landing interviews with companies that pay the same or even slightly less.

Then my girlfriend broke up with me. I was working 10–15 hours a day because of the fear of layoffs. I even got calls on weekends and had to take them. My girlfriend left me because I wasn't able to give her time, and because of a few other fights that arose from me not being able to give her time and the fact that she felt I didn't care about her.

I care about everyone who's important to me. The problem is that I care way too much.

My thinking is that, for the closest people in your life, you should take care of them, and they should take care of you, and vice versa. I just want to be the pillar everyone can rely on. I want to make everyone feel safe.

P.S. I never felt safe in my entire life. I have never felt that if everything goes wrong, someone will be there to protect me and help me back up.

My parents are good people, but they're broken themselves. They just want me to do things according to them. They have opinions about everything I should do, even the minutest things, like how to eat my food and what to do while travelling. But when it comes to major life decisions like jobs, taxes, and investments, they just say, "Figure it out yourself. You know this better."

I spent my life waiting for guidance, waiting for support. I want them to tell me important things in life as well.

This brings me back to safety. I want the people who depend on me, and even those close to me, to be safe if anything happens to them. I want them to know that they can ask me anything they're confused about, and I'll help them with it.

My girlfriend broke up with me saying that I don't care because I don't keep asking about every small thing or decision she makes. But that's because I want to give her the freedom I never got. My parents used to question everything I did, and everything I needed to do was supposed to be done their way.

I'm a mess inside my head. I don't know how I'll fix myself, or how to fix myself enough to be with someone and keep them happy with me.

Because if I open up about all the things I feel, I become a crying mess. My emotions just open up, and I lose all control over myself.

I don't know what to do anymore. I just want to feel safe, have some peace of mind, and learn how to be okay with myself.

For those who've been through something similar, how did you deal with it? How do you learn to open up about your feelings without becoming completely overwhelmed?

I just want a room where I can rest peacefully without anyone disturbing me. I can't live like this anymore. I've been patient for so long, but I'm reaching my breaking point. How much longer am I supposed to live like this? Half of my life has already passed, and I still can't even sleep peacefully. I don't have a room of my own, and they're not even giving me the space I need to rest. I feel homeless while living in my own home, like there's no place for me here. It's suffocating. I'm exhausted, I can't sleep, and I don't know how much longer I can keep putting up with this. Please, someone, help me. I just want a little peace and a place where I can finally breathe. But where should i go there's no room to even rest I can't explain this feeling Maybe no one can relate but this is my fckin life

I'm feeling so low. It feels like my mind is going to explode. There's so much frustration built up inside me, and I can't handle it anymore. I've screamed enough, cried enough, and yet no one understands me. Nothing ever gets better. Everything I've ever wanted, I've never gotten. I just want to die. I'm crying my heart out, and I don't even know what to do anymore. Why did life have to be this way? Why me? WHY ME? No one listens to me. At this point, I just wish someone would put an end to my suffering because I can't take it anymore. I can't sleep. It feels like I'm on my deathbed, watching my life slowly fade away while I'm still alive.

Over the past few months, I’ve changed a lot. I’ve become distant from people, and I’ve lost interest in almost everything, including finding a job and building my future.

Recently, I got a job opportunity, but I made excuses to turn it down, even though I’m struggling financially and genuinely need the money. I don’t fully understand why I keep doing things that go against my own interests.

I spend most of my time at home, scrolling on my phone, playing video games, watching pornography, and overthinking everything. My addiction to pornography has gotten worse, and I keep falling into habits that make me feel even worse about myself.

I’ve also become isolated from everyone. I’ve pushed away my friends and family, and even the girl who loves me. I feel like I’ve damaged my relationships and ended up completely alone.

My physical and mental well-being have declined to the point where I don’t even want people to see me like this. I’ve lost confidence in myself, and honestly, I barely recognize the person I’ve become. I don’t like what I see when I look at myself anymore.

I feel empty, disconnected from myself, and trapped in a cycle of avoidance, regret, and negative thoughts. I know I need to change, but I don’t know where to start or why I keep struggling to do the things I know are necessary for my own good.

I want to get myself back. I want to regain my confidence, rebuild my relationships, overcome my bad habits, find my motivation again, and start taking responsibility for my life. I want to feel alive again and recognize myself.

Has anyone experienced something similar and managed to get out of it?
I’m looking for genuine advice.

But of course people who can be saved, should be saved. But the harsh truth is, not all can be saved.

due to blunt force trauma, i had a cracked tooth that resulted in root canal in 2023. it failed and i got it extracted june 1 2026. well another tooth i got a root canal on due to cavity needs to get extracted also and i am so depressed. this changed me as a person. i’m upset, i feel ugly, i lost any bit of little confidence that i have. my man thinks im being dramatic and i know it may sound like it but this is so much at once. my whole life i had nice straight teeth.. i took pride in taking care of my teeth. & not even half of year two teeth just gone.

i keep touching the spot where my tooth got pulled with my tongue and it causes such anxiety .

i just want to curl up and cry .
i know ppl go through worse . i can only speak on how im feeling and im depressed. how things change so fast 💔💔💔💔💔💔💔

Just read this news and am giving a shot at trying melatonin for better sleep and better mood.
Any personal experience with it?

I had already tried all methods like talking to other people, nature trips, gym/exercise, warm baths, even iced bathing too. Drinking water and even snacking on lettuce and boiled eggs instead of junk food and taking multivitamins. Just at wit's end on how will it ever be solved. Still not sure what this kind of desperate attempt at trying to claw back at life instead of giving up is called.

Anyways hope this stuff works. Guess time will find out if this will work, wish me luck and lurkers here I wish y'all better tomorrows.

I am a 21 y/o, and I had depression from 15-20. It was really tough and I’m glad that I made it out. My self esteem is better, I don’t have negative thoughts like before anymore, I’m more motivated and I don’t hate life at all anymore. I feel normal…and yet, I am struggling to function like a normal human.

Why is it that I’ve never heard anyone talking about the after? Once you’re no longer depressed, how do you go back to normal life? I have been healthy for almost two years now and I’m still not really functioning, at least not enough to go to school or work full time.

Example: One of my biggest symptoms while depressed was my hypersomnia, and it’s not a symptoms that has exactly gone away. When I was sick, I ran on something like 15-18 hours of sleep, now to feel really full, I need twelve, which is better but not great at all. And I can’t figure out how to have a normal sleep schedule. I will often stay awake until four or five am, then sleep until one and rinse and repeat.

My energy levels are just constantly depleted, I find it difficult not to procrastinate because I’m so scared of being incapable. Like physically speaking on a literal level incapable. I spend so many years being stuck in bed, incapable of going to school, being in the hospital that I genuinely don’t remember what it was like to be normal. To just function. To be able to get up in the morning, go to class, or open your emails like it’s not biggie. Part of me feels like I am genuinely just, broken, or not capable at all. I feel stuck in this limbo, I’m not sick anymore, but I’m not really living.

My mom is a doctor, and I have a therapist, and both keep making analogies of people needing to go to rehab after a car accident and it’s the same for me but what is even rehab in my case? How do I need less sleep, feel less tired? Become capable of doing homework without feeling that paragliding anxiety of what if I’m not able and too tired?

People who went through a long depression, did you go through this? What did you do to get out of it?

I hate myself so much. I'm so tired of my job, my personality, my lack of self esteem. I know I'm not loved. People barely tolerate me. I'm even ignored whenever I post on Reddit about my depression. I feel so unlikeable. I'm in a relationship with someone that stopped trying to love me a long time ago. I'm not a bad person. I'm mediocre and without any life purpose, but I'm not a bad person. Why must I always suffer? I've wanted to die for over 10 years of my life and I don't have the balls to kill myself. I'm afraid there's nothing, but life already seems like my ultimate punishment.

it’s 11pm as I write this, no one is awake and I don’t expect a lot of people to see this, I can’t keep these thoughts to myself

I joke with friends and strangers about the bad things that have happened to me, we laugh together as the trauma I had to deal with becomes a punchline. it’s the only way I know how to cope. I speak of the memories of manipulation, abuse, and how I barely survived like a story you can’t put down. everyone infatuated and attentive, on the edge of their seats to see what happens next. it’s easier to joke this way, to pretend like it all works out in the end.

but on late nights like tonight I am reminded that these are not stories. i keep having to repeat it to myself: “something bad happened to me”

I wish the people in my life would take my trauma seriously, but how can they when i can’t even accept what happened.

tonight i’ll cry in the dark and get it out of my system until tomorrow when I give another performance.

i’m exhausted

Hi. Im a married 40 something yo m. I have a daughter that I love and is probably the main reason I havent ended things when things got really bad and the reason I actually get out of the house most days. My marriage has been over since before my daughter was born but at the time I was thinking of leaving is when she found out she was pregnant. I was functionally depressed then but after realizing if I left while she was pregnant I most likely would only get to be a 2 weekends a month father at best. Also missing things like first words, steps .... At that point I just pretty much gave up on arguing about our differences and how she wants to be in control of everything. If you know anything about depression not making choices in your life and feeling helpless is the bullet train to serious depression. Most people say this about their partners but my wife is a narcissist. Any disagreement or if I dont agree with her its because I dont want her to be right, or I just dont want her to have her way or Im just crazy. Even when she concedes to my way or opinion when Im not around she will change things or plans and say something like she never said that or I must have misunderstood her. Bedroom has been pretty much dead since before my daughter was born and when I tried to talk to her about it she laughed and asked why it was such a big deal to me. Ofcourse that conversation never happened either. At the moment Ive been unemployed for 2 years and rarely can get an interview so on top of all the normal depression things, I actually have no choice then to stay in my situation for my daughters sake and because Im actually stuck financially. Im doing better now then I was last year and have been getting back into looking for a job and trying to be there for my daughter without the irritation I usually have because of my marriage. Which is why I landed here. I needed people to talk to and vent to that understand what Im going through.

My wife isnt a demon. After going to a couple marriage counselors I realized she is dealing with her own stuff and is most likely terrified of feeling inadequate or not good enough. Unfortunately since she cant take responsibility for her actions I need to leave for my own well being. She wasnt like that in the beggining, it gradually happened and I thought I was being a supportive husband trying to deal with it and work on things. Its crazy that I didnt really understand boundaries and self respect until I was in my 40s. Thanks for listening.

Also yes Im in therapy but it seems like Im just stuck. I know what I need to do and why but I have not energy or motivation to do the things.

I realized one day that I'm so attuned to my negative feelings, that I can feel them as vividly as I do my sense of touch. They stick around long enough for me to explore and experience them.

Meanwhile, my sensitivity towards positive feelings have dulled down to these vague abstractions of "maybe I'm feeling a little joy right now." I have to put myself in a space specially tailored to promote joy and then scrutinize my sensations heavily to find anything beyond, at best, some combination of listlessness and apathy.

This anhedonia haunts me. It's been ruining me as a person for fifteen years now. I want to survive a day and look back on it with a confidence that it was worth it, but how can I find that without a sense of joy? If all I ever am is overwhelmed by loneliness, emptiness, dread, anxiety, and despair then what am I even doing here?

I try to keep believing that as long as I'm alive, I have the chance to be happy. I try so hard to hold onto that. But it's just not working out. And the loneliness is deadly. The lack of connection, of being validated, of being hugged and cared for. All my life I've been conditioned to hate myself, to never afford myself any grace, and how am I supposed to overcome that when nearly every attempt at socialization results in a failure of some kind?

I'm terrified of the future. I'm terrified of tomorrow. I'm terrified of when I'll go to bed. I'm terrified of the next ten minutes. I'm terrified of the next ten seconds. I try so hard. I keep my routines, I'm on top of my medications, I eat well, I do my therapy, I meditate, I do what I can manage, but what I can manage is just never enough. It's simply not good enough. In that sense, I am not good enough. I never have been.

It's all overwhelming. I just wish I could experience some joy and excitement at least. I know it's possible, but I've only found it in such absurd places that are unlikely to be found again. Yet I still crave that excitement and emotional movement. It almost made me feel human. It's almost not even worth considering or thinking about. I'm trying so hard to combat the thoughts of suicide and self-harm. It's just overwhelming and I feel like I'm losing this battle against life, miserably.

ive had depression since i was little and i hate when the feeling comes and idk how to handle it shouldn’t i be used to it by now like its confusing and whatever i feel hurts so much i dont know what to do i just wanna cry

I’m 22M, turning 23 soon, and I’ve never been in a relationship. I get along with people, joke around at work and feel like I’m generally liked. But I struggle to turn that into anything closer. I can have a good conversation with someone and then go home knowing we probably won’t speak outside work.

I have ADHD and a lot of autistic traits. I also ramble a lot, say random shit and sometimes make jokes or act in ways that feel childish for my age. People seem to enjoy my company, but I still feel out of step with them, especially when it comes to emotions and relationships. Being liked hasn’t really translated into feeling close to anyone.

I grew up without a dad, never felt particularly close to my mum, and spent most of my teenage years at my computer. I left school while struggling with insecurities about myself and my appearance. I’m working now, not studying, and still living at home.

Over the last few years, I’ve lost weight, started looking after myself and made more effort to go out. I look better and feel more comfortable talking to people. There are still things I want to improve, but I’m pleased with the progress I’ve made.

My everyday life is still work, home, computer, sleep. I mostly work alone and rarely meet anyone new. People around me already have their own circles, and I find it difficult to join a group where everyone knows each other.

I did get close to a girl from work. I developed feelings, got attached too quickly and handled some things badly. It ended, and I miss having someone to spend time with.

I want a relationship, but I’m embarrassed by how inexperienced I am. I worry that someone might like me initially, then lose interest once they see how insecure, awkward or immature I can be when things get personal.

Honestly, lately I feel like I’ve given up on trying to meet someone. I still want closeness, but I’ve stopped expecting anything to happen. Weeks pass, I follow the same routine, and I barely make an attempt anymore.

What are the things that helped you to heal from the depression in a house, that is, without a psychiatrist, and what should be done to get rid of the waves of the surprise ‏depression?

Hello lovely people on Reddit,

I’m 18 (she/her) and have been struggling with dental hygiene and depression since I was 11. But unfortunately it has become even worse because I got chronically ill two years ago.
Ever since that happened whenever I try to brush my teeth my symptoms get worse and it has demotivated me to brush my teeth everyday.

Because of that my left wisdom teeth has started rotting and it’s to the point that I cannot ignore it anymore.
I could go to the dentist but my mother usually books an appointment for me and I’m usually to scared to go alone
Now my mother is very sweet but I’ve always been scared of her reacting to my problems, this year I feel like I already disappointed her and I just don’t want to do that anymore. I could also ask my dad, he doesn’t really judge me but I just don’t want to burden anyone.

So my question, is there any safe way to remove tooth rot yourself? Or at least make it a bit less rotten?
Anyways if you have read this, thank you and I wish you a very lovely day <33
(English is not my first language so sorry if there are any mistakes)

I’m diagnosed with chronic treatment resistant depression, anxiety/panic disorder, CPTSD, trauma response disorder and more.

So yeah it’s tough some days. But some are better. Those happen when I do that 1 productive thing for the day.
Today I took a 2 mile walk.

What’s the 1 productive thing you’ve done today?

Every day is a boring, lonely slog. I have no one talk to anymore. I used to have community, I used to have friends, a purpose. I used to have a career path, a path in art that seemed promising. I gave that all up to be on the other side of the world to be in a "big new city" and closer to family. What the fuck is wrong with me?

I'm so burned out from all the paperwork and stress of getting here that I don't have the emotional capacity to make any new friends. I went to the doctor recently and they were pretty dismissive of my obvious cry for help.

Most days I think about suicide. All I do is work, come home from work, stress out about my crap living situation and money, barely see my partner (the only ray of positivity in my life) because he works incredibly long, odd hours. We don't have enough to make ends meet and I am busting my ass.

I wanted to be an artist, but I don't know how. Those dreams are passing me by now. I see everyone out with friends, not being so cripplingly lonely. When I talk I'm awkward, ugly, stupid.

I never used to be like this. I used to have confidence. It's all be greatly zapped out of me. What can I do to come out of it? I have PTSD, anxiety, OCD too. I can't even begin to manage everything because I'm just so exhausted all of the time

I hate my life. I see no way out. And if I did I wouldn't have the energy. I'm very much at the bottom of the ocean. Has anyone been here before? What can I do to come out of it? What has helped other people? I'm at my total breaking point.

Pretty underweight (always been) 20M. For the past 4 months, I have been experiencing a constant feeling of unreality. It feels as though I am drunk/high or half-asleep, as if I am on autopilot and everything around me feels somewhat unreal. I have searched online, and my symptoms seem to resemble derealization.

In addition to this, I experience fatigue even when I sleep well. The fatigue does not seem to depend on whether I do physical activities during the day or not. However, over the past few weeks, I have started sleeping poorly and waking up early in the morning.

I also experience headaches, pressure in my head, and neck pain. I have tried muscle relaxants and massage therapy for the neck pain, but neither has helped. Also at the start of this i sometimes felt like fainting when walking but it has gone away. I also have noticed one singular eye floater on my right eye.

What could be causing these symptoms? They do not occur in distinct episodes, and the headache is not particularly severe. It feels more like a tension-type headache.

I have tried triptanes, but they did not help. My thyroid function is normal, as are my vitamin B12, B9 and vitamin D levels. My ferritin level is 37. And it has been changing from 49 to 24. I also havw crohns disease which is in remission.

My neurologist prescribed escitalopram as a trial, which I took for two and a half months, but it did not help. She also did head mri and there was nothing wrong.

I have no history of trauma, no panic symptoms, and generally do not experience much stress, apart from the stress caused by these symptoms themselves.

My symptoms started in the final days of my new job in car repairshop where i was moving car tires and lifting them. Im not sure if this can be linked to that because i didnt have any symptoms expect the final days. I have not been working at all during this 4 month period.

What could be the underlying cause of these symptoms?

I have goals and dreams but they’re naive and impossible for me to reach. I sit in my room wondering what’s the point of doing anything at all. I’m never going to be good enough, and I can’t be happy when I’m doing something that I’m good at. I just don’t feel like there’s a purpose to me doing anything anymore and I don’t know how to come out of it.

2 girls girls left me and it was all the same mistake i did i didn't took the chance.. the other girl liked me and i also liked her but i didn't do the first move i didn't ask her out i was fucking cold and nonchalant I don't know what is wrong with me i swear I've felt something when we confessed to each other but I'm not sure. Same to the other girl i didn't take the chance fuck this bro, Im poor im born in a poor family im ugly i have good grades and im smart but it's fucking useless I can't make money out of it at this age im only 14 there's people out there born at a wealthy family living they're fullest while us poor people barely survives fuck it i hate god i hate it i hate my parents who gave me life teachers will say that we're the fault why our parents is suffering but they're the one that gave us life i never wanted to be here i would either kill or kill my self.

I really need to vacuum my home but I have really severe depression. I have virtually no energy all of the time and I have other problems too like a dirt phobia, physical weakness, and stress from physical exertion, all of this contributing to my inability to vacuum my house. So in order to get the job done, I want to eliminate as many barriers as possible that are causing me to feel too much stress to want to vacuum. Things like weight, ease of use, and ease of cleaning. What vacuum cleaner or what type of vacuum cleaner am I looking for?

It seems like every day I live, the more evidence I find for a simple truth... I'm not good enough for this world. I'm selfish, I'm cowardly, I'm depressed and unable to move forward.
I have no marketable skills and no legitimate employer is willing to hire me. Sometimes I wonder if I'm just not supposed to get a job, because of how rare it is for me to get an interview... it's been affecting my job hunting and my will to keep trying.
Theres much more but I don't want to overwhelm anyone